The Furnace is Lit

Well, the heat-up begins.  Iced Mug time.  Here’s the latest.  

As this week ends, temps will begin to build.  For several southern OR locations, temps will top 90 degrees; the rest of the west side should run into the low 90s over the weekend, excluding the Puget Sound region.  Some OR locations may tease 100 on Sunday, esp Salem south.  Model runs have been quite consistent as to the long, consecutive stretch of 90+ days for many west side locations starting Saturday.  We see this particular heat wave extending all the way through Thu or Fri next week. The high heat event begins Monday.

Many Willamette Valley locations will likely to exceed 100 degrees Mon through Thu.  It is quite possible for afternoon temps to top out in the 103-108 range in various valley locations.  Patrons up north will also get hot temps, but we do not see a big triple-digit event north of Chehalis at this time.  Still, the overall event looks to be the hottest of 2023, thus far.  Eastern regions of OR, WA and most of ID will be quite hot, as well

Overnight lows will be quite warm - upper 60s, maybe even a 70 here & there.  For those without air conditioning (quite a high percentage in west side areas of both OR & WA, as compared the rest of the nation), fan time.

The wind: afternoon westerly winds may get quite strong, esp early on in this event, so FIRE DANGER will be extremely high.

By late Fri Aug 18, or that weekend, models chart a cooler, marine air mass pushing into the PNW, cooling temps down considerably.   Coastal drizzle possible, as well as over the northern Puget Sound.  This cool air may last into the following week - say, Wed or Thu, Aug 23,24 - before another short-shot heat-up is charting to return, although not as hot as the current pending event.

Cooler, marine air may return again during the final weekend of August, with the chance for showers later that next week.  WAY too early to book that, of course.

Stay alert for neighbors and friends that are not blessed with air conditioning, as this is likely to be one of the longer heat events around the PNW in recent memory.